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After trained examiners and accomplished business professionals performed a thorough assessment of its operations, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Rensselaer, N.Y., has been selected as a recipient of an internationally recognized award from The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.

“Receipt of the Shingo Bronze Medallion signifies an organization’s strong use of tools and techniques for business improvement,” said Robert Miller, executive director of The Shingo Prize. “Those organizations that receive the Bronze Medallion are working to develop effective systems to create continuity and consistency throughout the business entity and are on their way to true operational excellence.”

Regeneron purchased the Rensselaer site in 1994 for the purpose of large-scale manufacturing of protein-based pharmaceuticals (biologics). In 2007, Regeneron entered into a collaborative effort with the global healthcare company, Sanofi, to discover and develop antibodies using the Regeneron VelocImmune™ technology and to advance several of these drug candidates into clinical development each year. The IOPS plant at Rensselaer was tasked with increasing its manufacturing output from one or two products to 15-30 bulk products and over 100 final product forms in less than five years. In order to successfully meet the requirements, the Rensselaer site had to respond with significant operations modifications and improvements. It now has the ability to produce as many as five different drug candidates simultaneously or more than 20 in a single year, placing it among the top 15 biopharmaceutical facilities worldwide in terms of production capacity.

“As I reflect back on the last six years, I can’t help but marvel at our progress,” said Daniel P. Van Plew, senior vice president and general manager of Industrial Operations and Product Supply. “Being recognized for our efforts is for sure exciting, but not as exciting as watching this journey continue to unfold a little more each day.”

Through its operations initiatives, the IOPS group at Rensselaer has experienced, among other achievements, a 200% increase in labor productivity, a 92% decrease in product changeover time and a more than 800% increase in the number of product forms manufactured.

Regeneron’s IOPS group will receive the Shingo Bronze Medallion at the Awards Ceremony and Gala during the 25th Annual Shingo Prize International Conference, May 6-10, 2013 in Provo, Utah. The awards gala is the conclusion to this four-day event featuring a selection of workshops, plant tours, keynote speakers and breakout sessions designed to provide ongoing knowledge, insights and experience for organizations in their pursuit of operational excellence.

“In providing recognition, The Shingo Prize invites organizations to challenge early in their implementation of improvement efforts,” Miller said. “Doing so provides them valuable feedback to help accelerate their implementation. By understanding the principles we teach, organizations can begin to proactively change their culture. Culture is the key to sustainable operational excellence.”

About The Shingo Prize
The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence is named after Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo. Dr. Shingo distinguished himself as one of the world’s thought leaders in concepts, management systems and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Business System. Drawing from Dr. Shingo’s teachings, The Shingo Prize helps companies and organizations increase their efficiency and effectiveness by developing cultures that better tap the talents of their employees. It also awards and recognizes organizations that demonstrate exceptional results from applying its philosophy. Those interested in more information or in registering to attend the 25th Annual International Conference may visit http://www.shingoprize.org.

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron markets medicines for eye diseases, colorectal cancer, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including hypercholesterolemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Those interested in more information about the company may visit http://www.regeneron.com.